Hi Susan Frankly what Bruna is expressing is some shared confusion about how the process started and we are here to look for solutions. Others might be confused too. Had we received an email informing us about the arrangement with Paul starting and how the voting was going to be done, I think we would have been on a clearer path. Bruna didn’t even imply that she is going to object we support the decisions and have never been intentionally roadblocking to stall the process. But our point about confusion about the process is a valid point which I encourage the leadership to weigh in on. Farzaneh On Tue, Feb 24, 2026 at 2:10 PM Bruna Martins dos Santos via council < council@icann.org> wrote:
Hi Susan,
Thanks a lot for your attentive email.
As I highlighted to the PDP List and on my email to council list *I’m not objecting Paul. *If anything, I respect him a lot as a colleague at NCPH and we have been working closely not as part of the house but at the search committee for BS14.
Firstly I would like to kindly ask you to refrain from making accusations such as me not reading the email or listening to the content of the webinar. I have read everything, and also listened to the webinar - which I could not atttnd bc I have other work commitments besides ICANN.
My main intent with the email is for us to clear up the noise in the announcements. Paul was announced to PDP list as a preliminary chair and we do need to vote on the motion until he’s considered as such. And I was alo inquiring about the process in respect to him and this position. This is a highly relevant PDP to NCSG and to the entire ICANN community and it would be great if we can start with as little doubts as portable.
Last but not least, we should understand that it’s absolutely normal for me and other PDP members to have doubts about the communications. And it also frustrates me to read this email in reply to what was a respectful tone towards council.
Kind regards,
Bruna Santos
Susan Payne <susan.payne@comlaude.com> schrieb am Di. 24. Feb. 2026 um 19:53:
Hi Bruna
I’m rather surprised at your email. As one of the participants in the PDP you should have had the various emails, so please contact staff if you aren’t getting them. As the initial email on 17 February made clear to all WG members, Paul was identified by full consensus of the SSC as the recommended candidate to chair this PDP, and that appointment is subject to the usual confirmation by Council at our next meeting. A motion is currently being prepared to proceed under the consent agenda, and this will be shared shortly. The motions deadline is 1 March. I don’t understand you to be actually objecting and intending to vote “no” to Paul’s appointment, Bruna, but if you or any Councillor does so object I would urge you to raise that promptly.
The first ICANN 85 meeting will be opened by the GNSO Council Liaison for this PDP, which in this case is Jennifer Chung. All emails and communication to and documents prepared for the WG have been in coordination with Jen as Council Liaison.
Given the SSC recommendation, Council Leadership considers it is appropriate for Paul to take up this post on an interim basis, pending the vote to confirm by Council. This allows for a timely start of the PDP1 and for the working group to progress with important PDP steps. You surely would not wish to lose the valuable opportunity for this PDP WG to meet in person during ICANN 85, nor for staff to chair these four meetings when a qualified chair has been identified by the SSC?
With regards to the Vice-Chair role, again as noted in the Kick Off Email, a Call for Volunteers for the Vice Chair position has been opened with the deadline of 27 February. Once the deadline has passed, the WG leadership will reach out to the WG with the list of volunteers and decide during ICANN85 how to best select the Vice-Chair.
It’s a shame you did not join our Prep Webinar last Thursday, which would have been a good opportunity to talk through your concerns rather than having to do so over email.
Susan Payne Head of Legal Policy Com Laude *T* +44 (0) 20 7421 8250 *D* +44 (0) 20 74218 255
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*From:* Bruna Martins dos Santos via council <council@icann.org> *Sent:* 24 February 2026 11:29 *To:* Council@icann.org *Subject:* [council] DNS Abuse PDP Chair
Dear all,
Hope this email finds you well.
I understand we are all under a lot of pressure due to the forthcoming start of the DNS Abuse PDP and Mumbai meeting, but I would like to share my discomfort as to how the chair selection and PDP communications has been handled so far.
As of now, we have had an announcement made on the list on behalf of a preliminary chair. And, as per our understanding, Council leadership has made a request for SSC to make a recommendation of a chair and this recommendation needs to be confirmed by council and hasn't been yet.
Therefore, I would like to kindly request that Council leadership informs us of the next steps in this process, especially because I have the following doubts:
*1. Will there be a motion confirming Paul as PDP Chair in Mumbai we need to vote on ? 2. How can a preliminary chair host the first meeting of the PDP if he hasn't been formally confirmed on the role ? In this case, shouldn't we ask Staff to chair the first meeting? (im invoking gnso working group guidelines that foresee the possibility of staff performing admin coordination until a chair is appointed) *
*3. How can a preliminary chair select his vice-chair if he hasn't been confirmed yet ? *
Again, I understand we're all doing our best and my email is by no means a question about Paul's abilities. But the way we have been dealing with this process has been a tad frustrating and I wish we had more information from leadership.
Kind regards,
Bruna
--
*Bruna Martins dos Santos *
Policy and Advocacy Manager | WITNESS <https://www.witness.org/>
German Chancellor Fellow 21' (Bundeskanzler-Stipendiatin) | Alexander von Humboldt Foundation <https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/>
Member | Coalizão Direitos na Rede <https://direitosnarede.org.br/>
Twitter: @boomartins <https://twitter.com/boomartins> // Skype: bruna.martinsantos
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